Gas turbine engines may be used as the primary power source for various kinds of aircraft. The engines may also serve as auxiliary power sources that drive air compressors, hydraulic pumps, and industrial electrical power generators. Most gas turbine engines implement the same basic power generation scheme. That is, compressed air is mixed with fuel and burned to generate hot combustion gases. The expanding hot combustion gases are directed against stationary turbine vanes in the engine. The vanes turn the high velocity gas flow partially sideways to impinge onto turbine blades mounted on a rotatable turbine disk. The force of the impinging gas causes the turbine disk to spin at high speed. Main propulsion engines typically use the power created by the rotating turbine disk to draw more air into the engine, and the high velocity combustion gas is passed out of the gas turbine aft end to create forward thrust. Other engines may use this power to turn one or more propellers, electrical generators, or other devices.
In many instances, gas turbine engines may be automatically controlled via an engine controller. The engine controller receives signals from various sensors within the engine, as well as from various pilot-manipulated controls. In response to these signals, the engine controller regulates the operation of the gas turbine engine. One typical sensor that is used is a torque sensor, which senses the output torque of the gas turbine engine and supplies a torque sensor signal to the engine controller.
Though unlikely, it is postulated that this torque sensor could become inaccurate, or otherwise inoperable, over time. If this were to occur, the engine controller may not properly control the gas turbine engine and may lead technicians to believe that various other gas turbine engine components are inoperable. This can lead to unnecessary and potentially costly engine down-times.
Hence, there is a need for a system and method that can validate whether or not the torque sensor is operating properly so that the likelihood of unnecessary and costly engine down-times can be reduced and/or eliminated altogether. The present invention addresses at least this need.